Protestors March on St. Mary’s Hospital in Death of Homeless Woman

The Reverend Larry Rice with marchers at St. Mary's Health Center, protesting death of Anna Brown.

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, MO–(KMOX)–On this Good Friday, protestors marched on a local hospital to call attention to the death of a homeless woman.

Carrying a wooden cross, the Reverend Larry Rice led a crowd of more than 50 marching on SSM St. Mary’s Health Center in remembrance of Anna Brown, a homeless woman who was arrested in the lobby of St. Mary’s and later died at the Richmond Heights Police station.

“She was homeless. She was a woman. And she was African American,” Rice said, “And it’s tragic that in this country the treatment that is given to people like this. They never would’ve treated Dick Cheney this way.”

St. Mary’s released a statement saying Brown did receive proper medical treatment, but had a blood clot that was “undetectable.” The hospital says Brown had received treatment “twice” in the 24 hour period before her death. The hospital claims they did not call police, but that she was arrested in the lobby by an officer on duty when she became “disruptive.”

Protestors also allege that Brown was “mistreated” by Richmond Heights police.

“She was pleading for a wheel chair. Why did they have to drag her out of the wheel chair and shove her into the car?” Rice said, “Why did they have to drag her out of there and lay her flat on her back in a cell and not even watch her at all?”

KMOX left messages with the Richmond Heights Police Chief and a detective seeking their response. No one was available.

The St. Louis County prosecutor has asked St. Louis county police to investigate Brown’s death.